The long range purpose of this proposed research is to isolate and purify barnacle bioadhesive and make it available for additional studies and applications. Barnacle adhesive may prove useful in dental, medical, mariculture, building and construction, and other industrial applications. The value and applications of adhesives are almost limitless in daily human existence. Antibodies prepared against the adhesive might be used in marine antifouling applications and cell and molecular biological studies. The question of biological adhesiveness is central to this study and relates to the more general biological problem of evolutionary convergence. Many cells and organisms attach to surfaces and substrates by means of adhesive macromolecules. Do these adhesive macromolecules share common features of structure and biochemical composition? Mussel and barnacle bioadhesives represent the epitome of bioadhesive molecules, but only mussel bioadhesive protein has been isolated, purified and sequenced (Waite, 1983). The major goal of this proposed study is to acquire in liquid form the adhesive material produced by barnacles. Cement glands and ducts dissected from adult specimens of Chthamalus fragilis and Balanus eburneus Gould will be maintained in tissue/organ culture in order to obtain adhesive in liquid form. The incorporation of radioactively labelled amino acids such as 3H-glycine by the cement cells and/or ducts will be assesed by radioautography. In addition, cultured cement glands and adult specimens will be prepared for transmission (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to characterize the adhesive material, especially with respect to the occurrence of collagen fibrils and adhesive plaque material , two important components of the adhesive byssal threads and attachments discs of mussels.